In the Hermetic culture,
initiates have long compared the nature of spiritual substance to that of an
ocean, as its water fills the ‘void’ (vide) (« vidia » in Sanskrit, which translates to « knowledge ») much like water
fills any vessel. This ocean echoes the cosmic sea of dark energy as referenced
by David Böhm. Due to the homophone of « sea » (mer) and « mother » (mère),
which both come from the Latin word « mater » (matière), there
are interesting semantic connections between these words and other related
terms. For example, « mercury » (mercure), (the avatar of Hermes-Trismegistus
of the Latins), «
matter » (matière),
« matrix » (matrice),
and « Mary » (Marie)
(anagram of «
to love » (aimer)).
If this invisible matrix
is at the origin of all manifestation, then the assumption that it is a virgin
is self-evident. The emblem of the black virgin (la vierge noire) (black, as opposed to
the synthesis of the 6 colors of the visible
spectrum, expresses the absence of light), like that of the Virgin Mary (la
vierge Marie), then becomes more explicit from the angle of Theosophy.
This is because the Blessed Virgin (Sainte-Vierge), also referred
to as the queen-mother (la reine mère), and the sea of God (mer
de Dieu), is the ordinary symbol of the mercury of the philosophers.
Interestingly, the anagram of « dark energy » (énergie noire), is « ignored queen » (reine ignorée). This
reminds us of the parable in verse 1:5 of the biblical
poem, the Song of Songs, which is believed to have been born from the love
between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The verse reads:
« I am black, but I am beautiful (...) ».
In the twelfth century,
the alchemist Artephius presented the water of the wise (l´eau des sages)
in his book : The Secret Book of the Hidden Art and The Philosopher's
Stone. He described it as follows: « Oh, how
precious and magnificent is this water! Without it, our work could not be
perfected. This is why it is known as the vessel of nature, the womb, the
receptacle of the dye, the earth's nurse, and the fountain in which the King
and Queen must wash. It is also the mother who must be placed and sealed on the
belly of her child, who is the sun. »
Are you beginning to understand how the cabalists
deliberately obscured the path back to the primordial ocean by manipulating a
deliberately convoluted vocabulary, in order to define a singular concept – in
this case, the singularity of matter – the materia prima?
In the Corpus
Hermeticum, verse 16 of an excerpt from a speech by Hermes at Tat
states: « Everything that exists
is in motion; non-being alone is immobile ». This suggests that
unity, the preliminary state to divine manifestation, could be envisioned as
energy in the form of standing waves. When this energy is vectorized, the
entire system is set into motion, giving rise to space, time, and, ultimately,
matter. The universal matrix emerges from the disruption of the spatial
equilibrium of unity, and this initial impulse is known as the Force of forces
– the Spiritus Mundi or the Holy Spirit (Saint-Esprit). This can
be seen as the transition from the Ain Soph to the Ain Soph Aur
in the tree of life of the Hebrew Kabbalah.
A seasoned kabbalist would break down the
word « holy » (saint) into 3 parts,
namely « s », « ain » and « t ». The silent « t » is the
outline of a cross, representing the center. « Ain » is the principle that precedes matter, defining the concepts of « abyss » and « non-existence » in Hebrew. It is also heard as « one » (un), the number of the unity. Lastly, « s » represents manifestation, as it undulates like the graphic depiction of
a pulsation. In essence, a saint is a person whose vibrational signature
resonates with the first impulse from the center of unity. This is why the soul
of a saint, their spirit, is always closest to the divine and creative
resonance of the Lord.
The different states of matter can be
compared to the rungs of a ladder, where the matrix Force crystallizes or
gradually condenses into more or less regular forms. This idea is supported by
the definition of alchemy given by Fulcanelli: « Alchemy is the permutation of form by Light,
Fire, or Spirit. »
Even if, according to the testimony of
Irenaeus Philalethes (1628-1665), metallic transmutation seems to be a
reality, making gold to enrich oneself was never the goal of alchemy. Many have
made the mistake of not understanding the cabalistic writings of our ancestors.
To separate the pure from the impure is to transform from a base matter to a
refined one. As matter and its source gradually move towards reunification,
their molecular structures become simpler and more orderly, reaching towards
unity. This process of purification is the reverse of the Luciferian fall (Lucifer
meaning the « bearer of
Light » in Latin), He first appears in Greek
mythology, where he is the guardian of the horses of the sun god Apollo),
and further emphasizing the concept of the eternal Nietzschean return. The
quest for immortality, often fantasized about, is perhaps simply the search for
eternity and absolute stillness, in close proximity to unity. Therefore, the
realm of adepts' science exists outside of time and space. Unlike modern
science, which focuses exclusively on matter, alchemy, magic, and astrology are
directly concerned with the matrix and the invisible laws that animate it.
- Astrology gauges the energetic variations of
the Celestial Fire.
- Alchemy is the manifestation of this Fire in
organisms, a priori, inanimate such as minerals and plants.
-
Magic channels this Fire directly into the adept's body. The latter is a
mage, in the noble sense of the word, possesses complete mastery over the
Cosmic Fire, harnessing its Force through the chakras of their body and
modulating it accordingly. This power can be used for positive purposes, fueled
by a love for God (white magic), or for negative intentions if one is seduced
by the dark side (black magic).
On the horizon of our conclusions, it appears
that the fundamental principle of all existence – the Force underlying life – is generated by a matrix that originates
beyond the boundaries of our reality. A deduction that is shared by Niels Bohr,
Nobel Prize winner in Physics, who declared in 1922: « Everything we
call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real. »
Since the matrix of spirit exists outside the
realm of the tangible and measurable, how can we perceive its substance in the
world accessible to humans?
•••••
In my opinion, if this
creative Force is the cause of tangible effects, its signature must be observable
in nature. Therefore, it is possible to catch a glimpse of the mechanisms of
this matrix by adopting a mindset of insatiable curiosity and keeping one's
eyes wide open. It would be a grave mistake to specialize in one field or another; a natural philosopher must open the field of
possibilities to all scientific fields, from astronomy to mineralogy. In other
words, the focus should be on all visible phenomena between heaven and earth.
The imprint of the Force must be present everywhere, as suggested by the
emerald table, in both the infinitely large and the infinitely small. The task
at hand is to identify its traces and find the analogies that connect them.
It was while working on this task that the
mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci noticed in the thirteenth century of the
Christian era that there was a connection between an arithmetic sequence and
generation in the biological world. In this sequence, each new number is the
sum of the two preceding numbers, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8,
13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144... and so on. As the numbers increase, the
ratio between a number and the one before it tends towards a mathematical
constant with a value of 1.618. This proportion, defined by the father of Greek
geometry, Euclid, as the division of a segment into extreme and middle ratios,
is consistently seen in all creations of nature. One of the most explicit
examples is the phyllotaxis of the plant world.
Spiral arrangements of
this digital matrix can be observed in flowers, romanesco cabbage, and pine
cones, as well as in the shells of nautiluses and gastropods. These analogies
are astonishing, as they are not limited to a few examples but rather find a universal
echo in the 3 kingdoms of the living world:
mineral, vegetal, and animal. Nature effortlessly creates geometry without the
use of squares or compasses. It does not need a plan, as it is the plan itself.
Its architecture, especially when expressed in a helical form (« helical » and « helix » have the same
etymological root as Helios, the sun god of the Greeks), is simply dazzling. It
is perplexing that many of us remain unfazed by such beauty and elegance. Don't
they have eyes to see?
Nowadays, the ratio of
1.618 is more commonly referred to as the « golden ratio ». This term was
popularized by Matila Ghyka in the twentieth century and represents a fusion of
semantics and mysticism. The word « gold » (or) originated from « aor »,
« aour », « aur » or « our » in Semitic languages, meaning « Light ». When we
consider the prologue of St. John, which reads : « The Word was God . .
. The Word was the true Light », the connection between God, the Word, the
Light, and the golden ratio becomes evident to the way of thinking of one of
the Magi: synonymous reasoning. With concrete evidence
of God's existence, the argument would become nearly irrefutable. Moreover, the
Greek symbol for the golden ratio, Φ, was seen by the first followers of Christ
as « the Force of God », « the Will » (also known as « the Telesm » of the
Emerald Table), or the principle of the concentration of the Spirit in matter.
The signature of Φ is
also evident in human anatomy. Among the many examples, the navel stands out.
The word « navel » (nombril) is phonetically similar to « nombreel
», which cabalists break down into « number » (nombre) and
« el » to discover its true meaning. As el is the ancient Semitic name
for God, this specific point, unique to the Vitruvian man, represents the
physical manifestation of the divine signature in the proportions of the human
body. Not only does it symbolize the energy that sustains us from our mother's
womb, but it also divides the distance between our feet and head by the golden
ratio on average. Genesis verse 1:27 which states that
« So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created
them (…) » is therefore not a parable, it must be understood literally, in
the first degree.
The Larousse dictionary explains that Φ, also known as « phi », is the 21st letter (21=3x7) of the Greek alphabet. In ancient Greek, it represented an aspirated « p », but in modern Greek it is equivalent to an « f ». In French, words derived from Greek may use « ph » to represent this letter. The first syllable of words such as « Philosophy », « physics », « phyllotaxis », « firmament », « Force », and « Fire » all emphasize their close connection to the golden ratio. Etymology is a serious science that should be approached with the utmost care, as it offers unique insights and investigative opportunities.
In the face of all these
sympathies, it seems not presumptuous to assert that Φ, the veritable whirling
pivot of universal (universel) harmony (to be heard as « uni vers
el » or « uni ver sel » or « sel vert uni »
for a right-to-left reading), is the organic imprint of a creative matrix. The
structure of this matrix is subject to the laws of geometry and arithmetic.
Plato understood this very well, as he declared, « God always makes geometry
» and « Geometry draws the soul to truth, and forms the philosophical
mind, by forcing the soul to raise its eyes upwards, instead of lowering them.
»
Historians, on the other hand, say that the
golden ratio was named « phi » in honour of
the sculptor Phidias (480-430 BC), famous
for having participated in the construction of the Pantheon in Athens, where
the precious relationship is exalted in the proportions of the façade. Should
we be astonished by the fact that the golden ratio was already used five
centuries before the Christian era by Greek architects, but also, according to
the work of René Adolphe Schwaller de Lubicz (1887-1961), by their Egyptian colleagues? Absolutely
not, because all Artists, worthy of this capital letter, have always tried to
make their works resonate with this very particular signature. In their desire
to mimic (singer) nature (homophone of « Saint G », where G is a graphic presentation of the
spiral), they attributed to Φ the ultimate canon of beauty. Whenever Φ is used,
it is a syncretic homage to nature and the creator that is celebrated. From the
grandiose pyramids of the Giza plateau to the abstract paintings of Kandinsky,
Φ has always been the prerogative of artistic genius and the mark of a
symbiotic relationship with the universe. This form of expression was certainly
born out of a necessity, that of revealing and glorifying in the material world
the invisible intelligence of God's creation.
•••••
With all due respect to
our contemporaries, the art of the twentieth century had nothing in common with
the « works » of today. The word « art » has become, in spite of itself, a
catch-all term in which any plastic creation can find its place. It is enough
to frequent the galleries to realize that « art » has become an intellectual
masquerade and visual pollution, used by ill-intentioned people or charlatans
to make profit. In 1973, Jean Phaure accurately described this current with
objectivity: « Modern art is a black magic, sometimes in the most operative sense of
the term, and has the eschatological function, like psychoanalysis, to place in
the field of our consciousness our infra-psyche populated by all the psychic
and demonic residues that had in the previous phases of the cycle been
contained in these cellars by sacred art, religions and initiatory knowledge ». You don't have to have a doctorate in art history
to realize that creativity is, in comparison with the achievements of our past,
the victim of a process of commissioned destruction. Indeed, how can we put the
paintings of Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) on the same pedestal as
those of Michelangelo (1475-1564), Raphael (1483-1520) or Botticelli (1445-1410) ? Unfortunately, for our well-being and awakening,
this imposed form of intellectual terrorism extends beyond art and corrodes the
foundation of a healthy and balanced society.
To this, it must be added that merely being
creative does not automatically make one an Artist. The true masters are
distinguished by their formal training and unwavering dedication to their
craft. Becoming an Artist is a gradual process that requires continuous effort
and spiritual discipline. Without first purifying and perfecting one's soul –
to show holiness –, it is nearly impossible to receive divine inspiration, to
resonate with the Force, and to become one with the grace of one's quintessence
to create something truly remarkable. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
emphasized the importance of this by stating that the title of artist is not
easily acquired: « The artist, constantly occupied in contemplating creation, pays
perpetual homage to the creator. Our patient study of God's work requires more
effort than singing matins. »
Art induces a fusion with the sacred,
creating a reflective connection to the source, it must be a reflection of the
space of the matrix. Therefore, every aspect must be meticulously considered,
calculated, and weighed. Nothing can be left to chance. As stated by Jean
Phaure, this type of work contradicts spontaneous art: its antithesis. The
proportions and geometric lines are precisely measured to establish a
harmonious and resounding composition. The choice of colors corresponds to the
symbolism of the figures and volumes. Mythological and religious archetypes
intertwine with various cabalistic references. It is crucial to recognize the
Hermetic nature of the form, as the tradition states.: « to show, to signify, and to hide... » All at once. The deity does not show... it
signifies, it suggests!
Achitecture is one of the highest forms of human
expression. Rooted in the higher creative magma, it is often considered the
cornerstone of all the arts, and therefore occupies a privileged place in its
relationship with natural elements. The synchronization between the properties
of a temple and the temporal cycles has always been one of the best-kept
secrets of the highest initiatory spheres of the priestly castes. By resolving
the squaring of the circle, the building is raised towards the sacred and
asserts its operative function by combining celestial and terrestrial energies
within it. When a temple is constructed according to the rules of the Art, its
geometric shape not only provides spatial orientation, but also gives the
measure of time, like a hand on a sundial. In this way, the scientific
knowledge of cosmic cycles elevates the architect to the rank of initiate, and
for this purpose it cannot be otherwise.
Unfortunately for humanity,
few people truly understand
the coding systems used in the works of art by our ancestors. And even if their attempts
are successful, the academic
doxa automatically labels them
as being enlightened. This
label justifies approaching art through
the lens of psychology among modern scholars, as they seek to provide an explanation (even if it is fantastical)
for the allegories, metaphors,
and parables present in traditional
cultural masterpieces. Nonetheless,
this thesis will attempt to decipher some of these works for what they truly
were. To do so, we must use the tools bequeathed to us, and in this virtuosity, the mastery of the Liberal Arts is essential.
The Liberal Arts are 7 in number and are
divided into two paths: the Trivium and the Quadrivium.
-
The Trivium is defined by the expression of the Word (Light) by
words. It is divided into 3 subjects: grammar, dialectic and rhetoric.
-
The Quadrivium delves into the power of numbers and their role in
expressing the Word through mathematics and is divided into 4 subjects:
arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy.
Along with the 7 paths described in the Hermetic
cabale, the Artist also has at their disposal a
linguistic axiom known as « the language of birds ». This slang, which is considered to be solar, derives its principles
from the appearance of its initiator, the ibis-headed Djehuty-Thot.
It is based solely on the assonance of words, disregarding the rules of
spelling and grammar. Richard Khaitzine (1947-2013), a
friend you would have wanted to know, explains it like this: « The language of birds is the language that
Jesus revealed to his apostles through the Holy Spirit during Pentecost. Do you
remember this event in the Gospels? The apostles were granted the gift of
tongues, represented by tongues of fire, with fire being a synonym for the
spirit. But you may wonder, why is it called the language of birds? This is
because the Holy Spirit, being volatile in nature, is often symbolized by a
bird, especially a dove. »
In order to address the shortcomings of the
language and to provide the final crucial pieces to unlock the secrets of the
closed realm of the Magi, the apprentice of Hermes utilized another
means of transmission, which remains poorly comprehended even today: the
symbol.
•••••
The symbol plays a more than singular role,
stimulating not just the psyche, but also connecting man to his imagination and
connects his thought to indescribable spheres through words. Indeed, the sound
of a word is a vibration that is audible to the ear, making it tangible in a
way that thoughts are not. However, words can often fall short in accurately
capturing the essence of an idea. This is where symbols prove to be more
effective. By establishing a connection between the created and the uncreated,
symbols allow the mind to transcend the limitations of space and time, peering
beyond the veil of appearances. As Ferdinand Brunetière
(1849-1849) aptly put it: « The symbol is an image, it is thought... It enables us to grasp those
secret affinities and obscure laws that may elude science, yet remain true
nonetheless. In this sense, every symbol is a form of revelation. »
If a picture
is worth a thousand words, as ancient Taoist wisdom suggests, a symbol would be
worth a thousand images.
We cannot
continue this introduction without
honoring the sharp words of René Guénon (1886-1951), because
his life and work alone crystallize an uncompromising spirituality. He wrote in his book « Symbols of Sacred Science » : « We have already had occasion to speak about the significance of the symbolic
form in the transmission of traditional doctrinal teachings. Why is there so
much hostility towards symbolism, both openly and covertly? It is certainly due
to the fact that it is a mode of expression that has become foreign to the
modern mindset. Man is naturally inclined to distrust what he does not
understand. Symbolism is the most suitable means for teaching higher truths, be
it religious or metaphysical, that are often rejected or ignored by the modern
mind. It is the complete opposite of what rationalism deems acceptable, and
this is true even for those who are unknowingly rationalistic. Therefore, the
greatest truths, which would otherwise be incommunicable and untranslatable by
any other means, can be expressed to a certain extent by embodying them in
symbols. These symbols may conceal them from many, but for those who know how
to see, they reveal them in all their splendor. If the Word is conceived in
thought and spoken outwardly, and if the world is the result of the divine Word
uttered at the beginning of time, then the entire natural world can be seen as
a symbol of the supernatural reality. Everything that exists, in any form, has
its origin in the divine intellect, and thus reflects or represents that
principle according to its own manner and order of existence. This is how, from
one order to another, all things are connected and correspond with each other,
contributing to the universal and total harmony that is a reflection of the
divine Trinity itself. This correspondence is the true foundation of symbolism,
and that is why the laws of a lower realm can always be taken as symbols of the
realities of a higher order, where they originate and find their ultimate
purpose. »
In its common depiction, the holy bowl is
seen as a cup or a chalice, and during the magical ritual of the Mass, it
serves as the vessel for the Eucharistic sacrament, collecting the Christic blood – the metaphorical fluid of the cosmic
essence. The mention of liquid inevitably brings to mind the Hermetic
association of the mercurial spirit with a primordial ocean. By following the
logic of analogy, this symbol serves the same purpose as its homophone, which
is revealed by the language of birds. In other words, the holy bowl is the
container and revealer of the ineffable principles of the universal matrix in
the tangible world.
In its sacred
embodiment, the holy cup takes the shape of a cup or chalice, representing the
Eucharistic sacrament during the magical ritual of the mass. It serves as the
vessel for collecting the Christic blood, a metaphor
for the cosmic fluid. The evocation of this liquid substance brings to mind the
way in which Hermetists associated the behavior of
the Mercurial Spirit with a primordial ocean. By following this analogy, the
symbol serves the same purpose as its homophone in the language of birds, the
holy cup (saint-bol). Both function as
receptacles and revealers of the unspoken principles of the universal matrix in
the tangible world.
I understand that for many of you,
Hermeticism may seem very mysterious and even elusive. This philosophical
current offers historical and scientific perspectives that the dominant thought
often dismisses as irrational from the start. I can already hear the rhetoric
of the most indoctrinated individuals: « How could people from antiquity know what
modern science is only beginning to discover? Aren't we superior to those who
lived in the past? »
Yes, and regardless of
what he may think, the modern Man is not aware of his own ignorance. However,
we should not criticize him, as he is merely repeating what he has been taught,
from his days in kindergarten to his time in university lecture halls.
Furthermore, since the majority have grown up in the same system, it is only
natural that ‘normal’ people are all shaped in a similar manner. In his
defense, it must be acknowledged that the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual
and cultural growth is not encouraged in our society. There is no effort to
promote reading in libraries or to expand one's general knowledge. This
unfortunate reality is a direct result of a subpar education system, the spread
and normalcy of artificial culture (at the expense of natural culture), the
promotion and standardization of mediocrity by mainstream media, and the
mind-numbing and manipulative effects of television on the masses. Above all,
there is a growing disregard for a transcendent and spiritually fulfilling
realm. It is a sad truth that many take pride in their agnosticism. How disheartening!
At the dawn of the
twenty-first century, the collapse of thought reflects the decadence,
degeneration, and decay of our civilization. This intellectual sclerosis poses
a significant obstacle for those on the paths of spiritual evolution, personal
emancipation, or the Gnostic journey. Social conditioning is so powerful that the intrepid, those who still
dare to think for themselves, the societal conditioning is so pervasive that
those who dare to think for themselves often face ridicule and are often put on
the bench of the unsociable and are unfortunately subject to mockery. It takes
tremendous strength of character to break free from the shackles of popular
opinion and the judgement of others. This task requires deep introspection,
which many are not willing to undertake. To truly free oneself from everyday
illusions and to fill one's chalice with radiant light, one must undergo a
challenging and delicate process of self-discovery. This achievement is not
easily attained and requires time and effort me.
Prudence, temperance,
fortitude, and justice are the cardinal virtues necessary for entering the
kingdom of God. With perseverance and truth as our loyal servants on the path
of righteousness, the vertical essence of the fire of the sun will illuminate
our hearts, ensuring success in all endeavors. Without this spiritual quest, I
may not have had the courage to share these words with you, for the
metaphysical currents that will carry us on this journey are often ridiculed by
the educational system and misunderstood by today's globalized culture. This
thesis could not have become a cornerstone of the edifice without overcoming
our usual prejudices, pushing back the boundaries of the unknown, and
transcending our reality.
To embark on this journey,
the scientific and syncretic study of the main religious symbols will serve as its major axis – its axis mundi –
around which this thesis will revolve. Much like a modern-day Jason searching
for the Golden Fleece, we will be guided by the clarity and direction of the
North Star as we navigate through mystical and unimaginable vibrational oceans.
Therefore, I warmly welcome you to join me aboard my ship as we delve into
sacred science, uncovering the secrets of the Holy Spirit and setting sail
towards the most profound mysteries of all – the origin of creation and
space-time.
Ludovic Nicolas